2014 Fantasy Football Rankings: Updated Fantasy WR Rankings

Exceeding even the expectations from his strongest advocates (like me), Browns receiver Josh Gordon broke out in a huge way in 2013.

Despite a two-game suspension to begin the season, the second-year receiver set a franchise record with a league-leading 1,646 yards, which more than doubled his rookie season total of 805 yards. With a 87/1,646/9 line, Gordon led all wide receivers in fantasy points despite a less-than-ideal situation at quarterback and missing two games due to suspension.

Not only did Gordon have 100-plus yards in exactly half of his 14 games last season, he had at least 67 yards in all but two games in 2013. In addition, he became the first player in NFL history to have back-to-back 200-yard receiving games as he broke the team's single-game receiving record (as Buggin' Out once said, "two times").

That's the good news. The bad news, however, is that it is unclear whether Gordon will even play at all this year ever again.

Failing another drug test this offseason, Gordon is facing a year-long suspension and his appeal hearing is set for the end of the month. To make matters worse, Gordon was arrested on DWI charges over the July 4th holiday weekend.

If it it weren't for the looming suspension, Gordon would be drafted as a top-five receiver in 2014. If he ends up being suspended for only eight games, he would be worth the gamble as a late(r)-round pick as a guy that could immediately morph into a WR1 from Games 9 to 16. Assuming a full-season ban, however, I currently have him out of my rankings.

With tremendous size and athleticism, no receiver can take over a game like Megatron. Only Hall-of-Famer Lance Alworth has as many games with 200 receiving yards as Johnson (five). Over the past three seasons, Johnson has averaged a statistical line of 101/1,712/11.

In his second with Peyton Manning, DT's numbers were nearly identical to his first season. After finishing with 94/1,434/10 in 2012, Thomas had 92 catches for 1,430 yards and 14 touchdowns last year. Thomas should be a lock for 90/1,400/10 (or better) in 2014.

Although he saw a year-over-year drop in yardage from 1,382 to 1,233 yards, Bryant set career highs (barely, by one in each case) in receptions (93) and touchdowns (13). Battling a back injury, Bryant still played in all 16 games this season.

Despite some (im)maturity concerns (e.g., walking off the field in Packers game), Bryant is one of the most physically-gifted players in the league and should be a lock for another 1,200-yard season with double-digit touchdowns.

Through his first three seasons, Green has 260 receptions for 3,833 yards and 29 touchdowns. In a three-year span to start a career, no player has had more receptions than Green and only Randy Moss has more receiving yards (4,163) than he does.

In each of his three seasons, Green's numbers have improved — 65/1,057/7 (2011), 97/1,350/11 (2012) and 98/1,426/11 (2013). As the team transitions from a pass-first offense under Jay Gruden to a run-first scheme led by Hue Jackson, that trend may not continue.

Before his foot injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season, Jones had at least six receptions and 76 yards in all of the games in which he appeared. During that five-game stretch, he hauled in 41 catches for 580 yards and two touchdowns. Compared to 2011 (73.8 yards per game) and 2012 (74.9 YPG), Jones had made huge strides, no pun intended, in 2013 (116.0 YPG).

While a foot injury is always troubling for a receiver, especially since it was a second time, he is expected to be 100 percent when training camp rolls around.

Jeffery broke out in a big way in 2013. Along with Cleveland's Josh Gordon, Jeffery was one of only two players to record multiple 200-yard receiving games last year and he also set his franchise's single-game record for most receiving yards.

With career highs across the board, Jeffery finished with 89 receptions for 1,421 yards and seven touchdowns and added 105 rushing yards. The only receiver with more yards from scrimmage than Jeffery (1,526) was Gordon (1,734).

As one-half of the league's best wide receiver duo, Jeffery is protected by the fact that opposing defenses will focus on slowing down the receiver opposite him (Marshall) as much (or more) as they will focus on Jeffery himself. Going into the 2014 season, I have Marshall ranked just ahead of Jeffery, but both receivers are stud WR1's in terms of fantasy outlook.

The loss of Aaron Rodgers for a huge chunk of the season had an adverse affect on Nelson's season, but he still managed to finish as the 11th-highest scoring fantasy receiver in 2013. Nelson had 85 receptions for 1,314 yards and eight touchdowns, but he had a line of 49/810/7 in the nine games that Rodgers started and finished. In other words, his yardage and touchdown totals would have likely been even higher had Rodgers had never broken his collarbone.

Since his breakout season (2011), Nelson has averaged 73 receptions for 1,208 yards and 11 touchdowns per 16 games.

With 60 Minutes signing a free-agent deal with the Dolphins last offseason, Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown had a breakout season as the team's No. 1 receiver even though he previously had an 1,100-yard season a couple of years ago as well.

Brown became the second receiver in franchise history to finish with triple-digit receptions (110) and was only two shy of tying the club record. Only Gordon had more receiving yards than Brown (1,499), who also scored a career-high eight touchdowns.

Perhaps the most amazing part of Brown's huge success in 2013 was his consistency. Brown had a minimum of five receptions and 50 yards in all 16 games last season. No other player has ever done that in all 16 games of a season. Only one player in league history has a longer streak of 5/50 games, but that streak spanned two seasons (2002-03).

Not only did Rodgers miss several games due to injury, so did Cobb, who played only six games last season. The dynamic 23-year-old receiver averaged career highs in receiving yards (72.2 per game) and rushing yards (13.0 per game) when he was on the field.

With good health in 2014, Cobb should have a huge season. Based on last year's averages, Cobb would have finished with 1,363 YFS had he maintained that pace over a full 16-game season.

There have been two primary knocks on Johnson: durability and lack of touchdowns. While he has played in 16 games in back-to-back seasons, it is shocking that he has never caught double-digit touchdowns in his 11-year career.

When he has played 16 games in a season, however, he has been extremely productive. He has played 16 games in four of the past six years and in those four seasons, Johnson has a minimum of 101 receptions (2009) and 1,407 yards (2013).

Although Johnson didn't attend any of the team's OTAs or mandatory mini-camp last month, it's unlikely that the team trades him or that he misses any games related to any of the questions he has about the organization.

In his second season with the Bucs, Jackson set a career high with 78 receptions and once again exceeded 1,200 receiving yards with seven touchdowns. While he has more than his fair of inconsistency from week to week, a 70/1,200/7 season (or better) should be a lock for Jackson.

Having never missed a game in his NFL career, White did not allow a high-ankle sprain suffered last preseason to keep him out of the lineup in Week 1. That said, he wasn't himself and was more of a decoy for the first half of the season. Eventually White sustained a knee injury as well and missed a few games.

While the injuries kept White from having a typical Roddy White type of season, he hit full stride by season's end. In five games in December, White finished with 43 receptions for 502 yards and two touchdowns. (That's comparable to a pace of 137.6 receptions and 1,606.4 yards.) In the last five games of the season, there were only three receivers with at least 500 yards: Josh Gordon (658), Alshon Jeffery (561) and White (502).

Even though Julio Jones has emerged as the team's No. 1 receiver now, White is only 32 years old and should have a couple more outstanding seasons in him assuming good health. Before last year, White had 1,153-plus yards in six consecutive seasons and I think 1,100-1,200 yards is a reasonable expectation in 2014.

Along with Cincinnati's A.J. Green, New Orleans' Marques Colston, Allen became the third rookie receiver to reach the 1,000-yard milestone in the past nine seasons.

Allen led the Chargers in receiving across the board with 71 catches for 1,046 yards and eight touchdowns. Once the calendar turned October, Allen was especially good. In the 14 games played in October through January including the playoffs, Allen had six 100-yard games and scored 10 touchdowns.

While Garcon set career highs in receptions (a league-high 113) and yards (1,346), the addition of DeSean Jackson means that Garcon will likely get fewer than the 182 targets he had last season. That said, I don't expect a huge drop in production and can see him finish with around 1,200 yards in 2014.